Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-19

piled the skipper. 'Let US try, any
how" te ~
1t was with some difficulty that we
managed to effecta landing upon the
rock on which the lighthouse stood;
this accomplished, we at last succeeded
in making the inmates hear us. A.
door about twelve feet above us was
opened. and q slight wooden ladder
being passed down, we were enabled to
enter the building and make inquiries.
The female. whom we had seen revel-
ing in absorbed contemplation of the
storm and tempest, proved to be the
only daughter and companion of the
old Greek mariner installed as keeper
of the lighthouse. She was a handsome
young woman, with pale, classic feat
ures, long raven hair, and deep black,
dreamy eyes. Very fortunately we
found that she had seen the Xebec
heave up her anchor and move toward
the. creek inshore.. The old man re-
fused to leave his post, but his bright
eyed daughter, in the broken ''lingua
Franca," volunteered to guide us. Her
offer was at once eagerly accepted by
our ..old man." who. however, seemed
to have become dazed, as it were, in
her presence The rough tar had not
often been brought into contact with
such feminine beauty. Although her
father seemed rather doubtful and I'M
easy, our solemn assurances and the
promise of large reward pacified him
and obtained his consent. Descending
to our boat, the young woman guided
us to the mouth of a small creek at the
southern extremity of the bay, and
there, sure enough, close in under the
tall rushes of the bank. lay the object
of our chase. There was no fear of
any mistake, for had taken particular
notice of several peculiarities in her
build and rig.
'Now, then, my lads. are your arms
all loaded, capped and readye" asked
the captain. i
AYE. aye, SIR" came the response;
and the click, clicking of musket and
pistol locks followed, while cutlasses
were unsheathed and gripped by
brawny hands. ~
sLuff up, then, Mister Leachline;
huff up, and run her aboard" cried the
..old man" to our mate, who was at the
tiller. -. s.....,1 .
AS we closed with the brig, he con-
tinued:
"Now, then, my hearties, don't for
get what you are to do. Directly we
get alongside, and the second mate
will make for the cabin, while all the
rest of you-except Joe, who will re-
main in the boat and make her fast
and take care of the young woman.
spring aboard the pirate, form line
across her decks abaft the mainmast,
and keep her crew from coming aft.
Mr.. Leachline will command you.''
The next moment we bumped along
side and were scrambling over the
Greek low bulwarks.
The Gordon was drawn across her
decks, then l. the captain and one of
our men, who spoke Italian, entered
her cabin. pistol and cutlass IN hand.
As we did SO a figure sprang from
the port stateroom and fired pistol
full in our faces. .-.
"Cut him down, boys, cut him DOWN.
roared the skipper, whose go-ashore
hat had been mortally wounded by the
ball.
l was nearest to our assailant, and
before he could re-enter the berth from
which he had appeared. disabled him
with a pretty cut on the right shoulder,
and then tumbled him over by dashing
the hilt of my cutlass against his fore
head.
At the same moment Captain Dob
son entered the starboard or right
hand berth-in every vessel that of her
commander-and caught sight of the
Greek skipper just getting up, aroused
from his sleep by the noise, and at
tempting to hide the proceeds of the
robbery he had committed earlier in
in the evening.
The unfortunate wretch had just
withdrawn the swollen leather bag
from underneath his pillow, when the
iron grip of our 'told man" was upon
him. He made vain effort to get at
his long knife, but Captain Dobson
took care of that. Then, first secur-
ing his lost money in one of his capa-
cious pockets, he seized the Greek by
the nape of the neck and the hinder
part of his scanty clothing, and so ran
him up the cabin stairs on deck.
..Philee-ee-pr' cried the piratical
Grecian, as he went swiftly and I'M
pleasantly through his cabin.
But his cry for help Only elected a
lugubrious groan, for "Philee-ee-p."
his mate, was lying somewhere under
the cabin table, holding on to his
wounded arm.
An extraordinary scene took place
when we got on deck again. Handing
over his victim for me to hold until he
was ready, Captain Dodson stripped
off his upper clothing, gave the bag of
money into our mates charge, and then
told our man, who spoke Italian, to tell
the Greek to stand up and defend him.
self.
The fellow understood what was re-
quired of him well enough, and his
black eyes glared ferociously as his
right hand instinciively made futile
movements to where, no doubt, he usu-
ally carried the formidable stiletto,
now safely slowed away in one of his
enemy's pockets.
''Come on, you parley-woo, long
shore son of sea-cook!' yelled our
.'old man." Come on. will you, you
numbering, piratical. inhospitable lub-
Der! Come on. till take satisfa ction